In the 7 months since the last NFL football game, the defending Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs picked up right where they left off with a decisive 34-20 win over the Houston Texans. However, the game was far from the same experience as last season. There were lots of changes like how many fans were able to attend and what the players did pre-game.
The last time the NFL played, the world was still normal. Sure Covid existed at the time, but the virus was mysterious and located overseas. There were less than a dozen reported cases in the US at the time. Now there are more than 6.3 million. As a result, NFL stadiums will either have a reduced number of fans in the stands (like what the Chiefs did in their first game) or will be empty as the season begins.
The NFL, like many other sports leagues, has publicly supported racial and social justice issues like protests over the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. On Thursday, Arrowhead stadium had messages in the endzones like “End Racism” and “It Takes All of Us.”
Before the game started here were a couple memorable moments from the first NFL game of the 2020-2021 season.
Taking the Field
The Texans decided not to go on the field during the National Anthem or the Black National Anthem. Meanwhile, the Chiefs stood arm to arm on the field while the two songs were playing.
A Moment of Unity
Even though the Houston Texans did not stay on the field when both anthems were played, they returned to the field and linked arms with the Kansas City Chiefs for what they called a “Moment of Unity.” The players were met with boos from fans during the gesture.